Women Have Regained Greater Share of Jobs Lost in Recession Than Men

Women Gain Six Out of Ten Jobs Added in November

According to Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of the November employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth improved, with 146,000 jobs added to nonfarm payrolls. Job growth was strong for women (91,000 jobs) and men (55,000 jobs).

Dec 07, 2012

Washington, DC—According to Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of the November employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth improved, with 146,000 jobs added to nonfarm payrolls. Job growth was strong for women (91,000 jobs) and men (55,000 jobs).

Women’s employment growth was aided by strong growth in retail trade (26,000 jobs added for women), education and health services (21,000 jobs added for women), leisure and hospitality (18,000 jobs added for women), and professional and business services (15,000 jobs added for women).

IWPR analysis of the BLS payroll data over the entire course of the recession and recovery shows that in November women passed men in the number of jobs regained in the recovery as a share of jobs lost in the recession. As of November, women have regained 54 percent (1.5 million) of the total jobs they lost in the recession from December 2007 to the trough for women’s employment in September 2010 (2.7 million). The picture looks similar for men: men have regained nearly 52 percent (3.2 million) of the jobs they lost between December 2007 and the trough for men’s employment in February 2010 (6.1 million).

In the last year, from November 2011 to November 2012, of the 1.9 million jobs added to payrolls, 853,000 or 45 percent were filled by women, and 1,036,000 or 55 percent were filled by men. The gap between women’s and men’s employment is 1.75 million jobs in November, substantially less than at the start of the recession (3.4 million jobs in December 2007).

According to the household survey data reported by the BLS, the unemployment rate for women and men aged 16 and older decreased from 7.9 percent in October to 7.7 percent in November. For women aged 16 and older, the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 7.6 percent from 7.7 percent. The unemployment rate for men aged 16 and older also decreased slightly to 7.9 percent from 8.0 percent. As of November, 12 million workers remain unemployed.

The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies. IWPR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women's studies, public policy, and public administration programs at The George Washington University.